Semiconductor devices having crack-inhibiting structures

ABSTRACT

Semiconductor devices having metallization structures including crack-inhibiting structures, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a metallization structure formed over a semiconductor substrate. The metallization structure can include a bond pad electrically coupled to the semiconductor substrate via one or more layers of conductive material, and an insulating material—such as a low-κ dielectric material—at least partially around the conductive material. The metallization structure can further include a crack-inhibiting structure positioned beneath the bond pad between the bond pad and the semiconductor substrate. The crack-inhibiting structure can include a barrier member extending vertically from the bond pad toward the semiconductor substrate and configured to inhibit crack propagation through the insulating material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application contains subject matter related to a concurrently-filedU.S. Patent Application, titled “SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGES HAVINGCRACK-INHIBITING STRUCTURES.” The related application Ser. No.16/236,143, of which the disclosure is incorporated by reference herein,is assigned to Micron Technology, Inc.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology generally relates to semiconductor devices havingcrack-inhibiting structures, and more particularly relates tosemiconductor devices having ring-type via structures formed beneathbonds pads thereof.

BACKGROUND

Packaged semiconductor dies, including memory chips, microprocessorchips, and imager chips, typically include a semiconductor die mountedon a substrate and encased in a protective covering. The semiconductordie can include functional features, such as memory cells, processorcircuits, and imager devices, as well as bond pads electricallyconnected to the functional features. The bond pads can be electricallyconnected to terminals outside the protective covering to allow thesemiconductor die to be connected to higher level circuitry.

In some semiconductor packages, the bond pads of a semiconductor die canbe electrically coupled to a substrate via a thermo-compression bondingoperation in which conductive pillars are formed on the bond pads andcoupled to the substrate via a bond material that is disposed betweenthe conductive pillars and the substrate. To attach the bond material tothe substrate, the semiconductor package is heated to heat and reflowthe bond material. However, heating the semiconductor package and/orsubsequently cooling the semiconductor package can induce significantmechanical stress between the semiconductor die and the substrate due toa mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion of these components.Often, the stress can induce cracking of the semiconductor die near oneor more of the bond pads, which can render the semiconductor packageinoperable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present technology can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed on illustratingclearly the principles of the present technology.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are side cross-sectional views of a semiconductorpackage at various stages in a method of manufacture in accordance withembodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged, side cross-sectional view of a portion of thesemiconductor package shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and having ametallization structure configured in accordance with the prior art.

FIG. 2B is a bottom cross-sectional view of the portion of thesemiconductor package shown in FIG. 2A configured in accordance with theprior art.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged, side cross-sectional view of a portion of thesemiconductor package shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and having ametallization structure configured in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present technology.

FIG. 3B is a bottom cross-sectional view of the portion of thesemiconductor package shown in FIG. 3A configured in accordance with anembodiment of the present technology.

FIGS. 4-6 are bottom cross-sectional views of the portion of thesemiconductor package shown in FIG. 3A and having metallizationstructures configured in accordance with other embodiments of thepresent technology.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a system that includes a semiconductordevice or package configured in accordance with embodiments of thepresent technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Specific details of several embodiments of semiconductor devices, andassociated systems and methods, are described below. A person skilled inthe relevant art will recognize that suitable stages of the methodsdescribed herein can be performed at the wafer level or at the dielevel. Therefore, depending upon the context in which it is used, theterm “substrate” can refer to a wafer-level substrate or to asingulated, die-level substrate. Furthermore, unless the contextindicates otherwise, structures disclosed herein can be formed usingconventional semiconductor-manufacturing techniques. Materials can bedeposited, for example, using chemical vapor deposition, physical vapordeposition, atomic layer deposition, plating, electroless plating, spincoating, and/or other suitable techniques. Similarly, materials can beremoved, for example, using plasma etching, wet etching,chemical-mechanical planarization, or other suitable techniques. Aperson skilled in the relevant art will also understand that thetechnology may have additional embodiments, and that the technology maybe practiced without several of the details of the embodiments describedbelow with reference to FIGS. 1A-7.

In several of the embodiments described below, a semiconductor devicecan include a semiconductor substrate including circuit elements, and ametallization structure (e.g., a back end of line (BEOL) structure)formed at least partially over the substrate. The metallizationstructure can include bond pads electrically coupled to the circuitelements. More particularly, the metallization structure can include oneor more layers of conductive material electrically coupling the bondpads to the circuit elements and one or more layers of insulatingmaterial at least partially surrounding the conductive material. In someembodiments, the insulating material comprises a mechanically fragilematerial, such as a low-κ dielectric material, that can be susceptibleto cracking or other mechanical and/or electrical failure due tomechanical stresses—for example, thermomechanical stresses induced bydirectly attaching the semiconductor device to a package substrate.Accordingly, the metallization structure can further includecrack-inhibiting structures positioned beneath some or all of the bondpads and configured to inhibit or retard the propagation of cracksthrough the insulating material. In some embodiments, thecrack-inhibiting structures include (i) a metal layer extendinggenerally parallel to a corresponding bond pad and (ii) a barrier memberextending vertically between the metal layer and the corresponding bondpad. In some embodiments, the barrier member is a wall of metal that isformed into a ring-like shape. The crack-inhibiting structures canreduce the likelihood of mechanical failure around the bond pads after,for example, a thermo-compression bonding (TCB) operation is carried outto secure the bond pads of the semiconductor device to a packagesubstrate.

Numerous specific details are disclosed herein to provide a thorough andenabling description of embodiments of the present technology. A personskilled in the art, however, will understand that the technology mayhave additional embodiments and that the technology may be practicedwithout several of the details of the embodiments described below withreference to FIGS. 1A-7. For example, some details of semiconductordevices and/or packages well known in the art have been omitted so asnot to obscure the present technology. In general, it should beunderstood that various other devices and systems in addition to thosespecific embodiments disclosed herein may be within the scope of thepresent technology.

As used herein, the terms “vertical,” “lateral,” “upper,” “lower,”“above,” and “below” can refer to relative directions or positions offeatures in the semiconductor devices in view of the orientation shownin the Figures. For example, “upper” or “uppermost” can refer to afeature positioned closer to the top of a page than another feature.These terms, however, should be construed broadly to includesemiconductor devices having other orientations, such as inverted orinclined orientations where top/bottom, over/under, above/below,up/down, and left/right can be interchanged depending on theorientation.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are side cross-sectional views of a semiconductorpackage 100 (“package 100”) at various stages in a method of manufacturein accordance with embodiments of the present technology. Moreparticularly, FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate the package 100 at thebeginning and end, respectively, of a thermo-compression bonding (TCB)operation. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B together, the package 100 caninclude a semiconductor die 110 carried by a package substrate 102 andelectrically coupled to the package substrate 102 via a plurality ofinterconnects 104.

In the illustrated embodiment, the semiconductor die 110 includes asemiconductor substrate 112 (e.g., a silicon substrate, a galliumarsenide substrate, an organic laminate substrate, etc.) having a firstside/surface 113 a and a second side/surface 113 b opposite the firstside 113 a. The first side 113 a of the semiconductor substrate 112 canbe an active side including one or more circuit elements 114 (e.g.,wires, traces, interconnects, transistors, etc.; shown schematically)formed in and/or on the first side 113 a. The circuit elements 114 caninclude, for example, memory circuits (e.g., dynamic random memory(DRAM) or other type of memory circuits), controller circuits (e.g.,DRAM controller circuits), logic circuits, and/or other circuits. Inother embodiments, the semiconductor substrate 112 can be a “blank”substrate that does not include integrated circuit components and thatis formed from, for example, crystalline, semi-crystalline, and/orceramic substrate materials, such as silicon, polysilicon, aluminumoxide (Al₂O₃), sapphire, and/or other suitable materials. In theillustrated embodiment, the semiconductor die 110 further includes ametallization structure 116 formed over at least a portion of the firstside 113 a of the semiconductor substrate 112. As described in greaterdetail below with reference to FIG. 2A, the metallization structure 116can include one or more dielectric layers, metal layers, interconnects,vias, etc., and is configured to electrically couple the circuitelements 114 to the interconnects 104.

The package substrate 102 can include a redistribution layer, aninterposer, a printed circuit board, a dielectric spacer, anothersemiconductor die (e.g., a logic die), or another suitable substrate.The package substrate 102 can further include electrical connectors 103(e.g., solder balls, conductive bumps, conductive pillars, conductiveepoxies, and/or other suitable electrically conductive elements)electrically coupled to the package substrate 102 and configured toelectrically couple the package 100 to external devices or circuitry(not shown).

In the illustrated embodiment, the first side 113 a of the semiconductorsubstrate 112 faces the package substrate 102 (e.g., in a direct chipattach (DCA) configuration). In other embodiments, the semiconductor die110 can be arranged differently. For example, the second side 113 b ofthe semiconductor substrate 112 can face the package substrate 102 andthe semiconductor die 110 can include one or more TSVs extending throughthe semiconductor substrate 112 to electrically couple the circuitelements 114 to the interconnects 104. Moreover, while only a singlesemiconductor die 110 is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in other embodimentsthe package 100 can include one or more additional semiconductor diesstacked on and/or over the semiconductor die 110.

In the illustrated embodiment, individual ones of the interconnectsinclude (i) a first conductive feature (e.g., a conductive pillar 106)electrically connected to the metallization structure 116 of thesemiconductor die 110 and (ii) a bond material 108 formed between theconductive pillar 106 and the package substrate 102. In someembodiments, second conductive features (e.g., conductive pads) can beformed on the package substrate 102, and the bond material 108 can beformed between the second conductive features and the conductive pillars106. The conductive pillars 106 can be formed of any suitably conductivematerial such as, for example, copper, nickel, gold, silicon, tungsten,conductive-epoxy, combinations thereof, etc., and can be formed fromusing an electroplating, electroless-plating, or other suitable process.In some embodiments, the interconnects 104 can also include barriermaterials (not shown; e.g., nickel, nickel-based intermetallic, and/orgold) formed over end portions of the conductive pillars 106. Thebarrier materials can facilitate bonding and/or prevent or at leastinhibit the electromigration of copper or other metals used to form theconductive pillars 106. While six interconnects 104 are illustrated inFIGS. 1A and 1B, the package 100 can include a smaller or greater numberof interconnects 104. For example, the package 100 can include tens,hundreds, thousands, or more interconnects 104 arrayed between thesemiconductor die 110 and the package substrate 102.

In some embodiments, the package 100 can further include an underfill ormolded material formed over the package substrate 102 and/or at leastpartially around the semiconductor die 110. In some embodiments, thepackage 100 can include other components such as external heatsinks, acasing (e.g., thermally conductive casing), electromagnetic interference(EMI) shielding components, etc.

In FIG. 1A, the package 100 is illustrated at the beginning of the TCBoperation, in which heating has caused the bond material 108 in theinterconnects 104 to reflow and electrically connect the conductivepillars 106 to the package substrate 102. In some embodiments, thepackage 100 can be heated to 200° C. or greater (e.g., greater thanabout 217° C.) to reflow the bond material 108. During the TCBoperation, a compressive force is applied to secure the interconnects104 to the package substrate 102. In FIG. 1B, the package 100 isillustrated at the completion of the TCB operation, after thecompressive force has been applied and after cooling the package 100(e.g., to about 25° C.). By cooling the package 100 at this point, thebond material 108 can be solidified, securing the semiconductor die 110to the package substrate 102.

As shown in FIG. 1B, one drawback with the illustrated TCB operation isthat cooling of the package 100 can cause the semiconductor die 110 andthe package substrate 102 to warp or bend relative to one another, whichcan introduce mechanical (e.g., thermomechanical) stresses into thepackage 100 (e.g., chip-package interaction (CPI) stresses). Forexample, the semiconductor die 110 can have a coefficient of thermalexpansion (CTE) that is different than a CTE of the package substrate102, and the CTE mismatch between these components can cause them towarp relative to one another during cooling and/or heating of thepackage 100. In some embodiments, the CTE of the semiconductor die 110is lower than the CTE of the package substrate 102. Accordingly, asshown in FIG. 1B, the package substrate 102 can have a warped,non-planar shape after cooling. In other embodiments, the semiconductordie 110 or both the semiconductor die 110 and the package substrate 102can have a non-planar, warped shape after cooling. As further shown inFIG. 1B, the CTE mismatch between the semiconductor die 110 and thepackage substrate 102 can laterally stress and bend the interconnects104. This can cause cracks to form and propagate within themetallization structure 116, which can cause mechanical and/orelectrical failures within the package 100.

More particularly, FIG. 2A is an enlarged, side cross-sectional view ofa portion of the package 100 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B configured inaccordance with the prior art. As shown in FIG. 2A, the metallizationstructure 116 includes a plurality of conductive layers 222 (e.g.,metallization layers; individually labeled as first through thirdconductive layers 222 a-222 c) that are at least partially surrounded byan insulating material 224. In general, the metallization structure 116can be formed as part of a back end of line (BEOL) fabrication processas is known in the art. For example, the insulating material 224 caninclude a plurality of layers, and the layers of the insulating material224 and the conductive layers 222 can be additively built (e.g.,disposed) upon the active first side 113 a of the semiconductorsubstrate 112. The conductive layers 222 can be formed from electricallyconductive materials such as, for example, copper, tungsten, aluminum,gold, titanium nitride, tantalum, etc., and can include more or fewerthan the three layers illustrated in FIG. 2A (e.g., two layers, fourlayers, five layers, more than five layers, etc.). The conductive layers222 are configured to couple the circuit elements 114 (FIGS. 1A and 1B)to corresponding ones of the interconnects 104. In the illustratedembodiment, for example, the third conductive layer 222 c can have afirst surface 221 a (opposite a second surface 221 b) that is at leastpartially exposed from the insulating material 224 at an opening 226therein, and that defines a bond pad 225 of the semiconductor die 110.The conductive pillar 106 of the illustrated one of the interconnects104 is attached and electrically coupled to the first surface 221 a ofthe bond pad 225.

The insulating material 224 can comprise one or more layers of the sameor different passivation, dielectric, or other suitable insulatingmaterial. For example, the insulating material 224 can comprise siliconoxide, silicon nitride, poly-silicon nitride, poly-silicon oxide,tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), etc. In some embodiments, theinsulating material 224 can at least partially comprise a dielectricmaterial with a small dielectric constant relative to silicon oxide (a“low-κ dielectric material”). Such low-κ dielectric materials caninclude fluorine-doped silicon dioxide, carbon-doped silicon dioxide,porous silicon dioxide, organic polymeric dielectrics, silicon basedpolymeric dielectrics, etc. Notably, low-κ dielectric materials canincrease the performance of the package 100, but can be mechanicallyfragile compared to conventional (e.g., higher-κ) dielectric materials.

Accordingly, the insulating material 224 can be relatively more prone tomechanical failure (e.g., cracking, delamination, etc.) due to themechanical stresses induced by warping of the package 100 than otherportions/components of the package 100. For example, as shown in FIG.2A, the insulating material 224 can include a region 223 that is mostsusceptible to stress-induced mechanical failure. The region 223 (i) isdirectly adjacent to the bond pad 225 and (ii) extends between andelectrically isolates the bond pad 225 and the second conductive layer222 b. Therefore, the metallization structure 116 does not include anyconductive structure, such as a vertically-extending via, that iselectrically coupled to the bond pad 225 directly beneath the bond pad225 (e.g., beneath the bond pad 225 between the bond pad 225 and thesemiconductor substrate 112) and that may provide additional mechanicalstrength in the region 223.

FIG. 2B is a top cross-sectional view of the portion of the package 100shown in FIG. 2A taken through the region 223 of the insulating material224. The footprints of the bond pad 225 and the conductive pillar 106are shown schematically in FIG. 2B. As shown, the conductive pillar 106can have a generally oblong cross-sectional shape including (i) opposingfirst and second side portions 228 a and 228 b and (ii) opposing thirdand fourth side portions 229 a and 229 b. In other embodiments, theconductive pillar 106 can have other cross-sectional shapes such as, forexample, rectilinear, polygonal, circular, irregular, etc. Referring toFIGS. 2A and 2B together, the conductive pillar 106 is stressed, bent,slanted, warped, etc., in a direction indicated by arrow X (e.g., in adirection generally from the first side portion 228 a toward the secondside portion 228 b). Accordingly, the conductive pillar 106 can impart(i) a relatively high tensile stress on the metallization structure 116(e.g., on the bond pad 225 and the insulating material 224) beneath thefirst side portion 228 a and (ii) a relatively high compressive stressbeneath the second side portion 228 b.

The mechanical stresses induced by the conductive pillar 106 can causescracks to form in the relatively mechanically weak insulating material224 in, for example, the region 223 that is directly adjacent to thebond pad 225 and therefore subject to the greatest stresses. Forexample, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, one or more cracks 227 canpropagate through the insulating material 224. It is expected that anyof the cracks 227 will generally (i) originate in the insulatingmaterial 224 at or near the first side portion 228 a (e.g., laterallyoutside or within the footprint of the conductive pillar 106 near thefirst side portion 228 a) and (ii) propagate laterally in the directionindicated by arrow X from proximate the first side portion 228 a (e.g.,a region of high tensile stress) toward the second side portion 228 b(e.g., a region of high compressive stress). Moreover, it is expectedthat any of the cracks 227 can extend vertically toward, into, and/orpast the conductive layers 222 a, b. As one of skill in the art willunderstand, however, the particular stresses imparted on themetallization structure 116, and the propagation pattern of anyresulting cracks, will depend on the specific configurations (e.g.,dimensions, shapes, material composition, etc.) of the conductive pillar106 and the metallization structure 116. In some embodiments, forexample, cracks may propagate in a direction that generally extendsbetween the third and fourth side portions 229 a, b, and/or in adirection from the second side portion 228 b toward the first sideportion 228 a. Cracking of the insulating material 224 can causemechanical and/or electrical failure of the semiconductor die110—rendering the package fully or partially inoperable. In someinstances, for example, the conductive pillar 106 can fully or partiallyrip out of the metallization structure 116.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged, side cross-sectional view of a portion of thepackage 100 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and having a metallizationstructure 316 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the presenttechnology. The metallization structure 316 can include featuresgenerally similar to the metallization structure 116 described in detailabove with reference to FIGS. 1A-2B. For example, the metallizationstructure 316 includes the conductive layers 222 and the insulatingmaterial 224. Likewise, the third conductive layer 222 c is partiallyexposed in the opening 226 of the insulating material 224 and definesthe bond pad 225. In the illustrated embodiment, however, themetallization structure 316 further includes a crack-blocking orcrack-inhibiting structure 330 (“structure 330”) positioned beneath thebond pad 225 between the bond pad 225 and the semiconductor substrate112. In the illustrated embodiment, the structure 330 includes (i) aconductive (e.g., metal) layer 332 and (ii) a plurality of barrier wallsor members 334 (individually labeled as first through fourth barriermembers 334 a-334 d). The structure 330 is configured to inhibit, block,and/or retard propagation of cracks through the insulating material 224.

FIG. 3B is a bottom cross-sectional view of the portion of the package100 shown in FIG. 3A. The footprints of the bond pad 225 and theconductive pillar 106 are shown schematically in FIG. 3B. Referring toFIGS. 3A and 3B together, the conductive layer 332 extends laterallybetween the semiconductor substrate 112 and the bond pad 225 andincludes a first surface 335 a facing the second surface 221 b of thebond pad 225, and a second surface 335 b opposite the first surface 335a. Therefore, in some embodiments, the conductive layer 332 ispositioned beneath the bond pad 225 and generally parallel to the bondpad 225. In some embodiments, the bond pad 225 and the conductive layer332 have substantially the same planform shape. In the illustratedembodiment, the conductive layer 332 has a greater width than the bondpad 225 such that it extends laterally beyond the bond pad 225. In otherembodiments, the bond pad 225 and conductive layer 332 can have the samedimensions such that the bond pad 225 is superimposed over theconductive layer 332. In yet other embodiments, the conductive layer 332can be entirely within a footprint of (e.g., entirely beneath) the bondpad 225.

In some embodiments, the conductive layer 332 can be formed as part ofor an extension of the same BEOL fabrication process used to manufacturethe conductive layers 222. Accordingly, the conductive layer 332 can begenerally similar to the conductive layers 222 and can comprise copper,tungsten, aluminum, gold, titanium nitride, tantalum, etc. In certainembodiments, the conductive layer 332 is electrically isolated from thecircuit elements 114 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) of the package 100. That is, theconductive layer 332 can be formed as an “island” of conductive materialthat provides added mechanical strength beneath the bond pad 225 withoutserving any electrical routing function. Accordingly, in someembodiments, the structure 330 is not electrically coupled to any of thecircuit elements 114, and the bond pad 225 can be electrically coupledto one or more of the circuit elements 114 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) via anelectrical path that does not include the structure 330.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the barrier members 334 each extend verticallybetween the first surface 335 a of the conductive layer 332 and thesecond surface 221 b of the bond pad 225. In some embodiments, one ormore of the barrier members 334 are attached to the first surface 335 aof the conductive layer 332 and/or to the second surface 221 bb of thebond pad 225. In other embodiments, end portions of the barrier members334 are positioned adjacent to the bond pad 225 and the conductive layer332 but not connected thereto. Referring to FIG. 3B, the barrier members334 can form rings or coils that are concentrically arranged withrespect to each other and the footprint of the conductive pillar 106. Inthe illustrated embodiment, (i) the first and second barrier members 334a, b are positioned outside of the footprint of the conductive pillar106 and adjacent to one another, and (ii) the third and fourth barriermembers 334 c, d are positioned within the footprint of the conductivepillar 106 and adjacent to one another. That is, the first and secondbarrier members 334 a, b can be positioned laterally outboard of theconductive pillar 106 while the third and fourth barrier members 334 c,d can be positioned laterally inboard of the conductive pillar 106. Asfurther shown in FIG. 3B, the first and second barrier members 334 a, bcan generally encircle or surround the footprint of the conductivepillar 106.

The barrier members 334 can be formed from materials that have a greatermechanical strength than the insulating material 224. In someembodiments, for example, the barrier members 334 comprise a metalmaterial (e.g., tungsten). Moreover, the barrier members 334 can beformed as part of the BEOL fabrication process used to form themetallization structure 316. For example, after forming the conductivelayer 332 and a layer of the insulating material 224 over the conductivelayer 332, the layer of the insulating material 224 can be etched toform vias and the vias can be filled with tungsten and/or anothersuitable material to form the barrier members 334. More specifically, insome embodiments, the tungsten and/or other material can be plated ontothe conductive layer 332 in the vias using a suitable electroplating orelectroless-plating process, as is well known in the art. In someembodiments, the barrier members 334 have a rectilinear (e.g.,rectangular) cross-sectional shape while, in other embodiments, thebarrier members 334 can have other suitable cross-sectional shapes(e.g., circular, polygonal, irregular, etc.).

In operation, the structure 330 is configured to inhibit, block, and/orretard propagation of stress-induced cracks through the insulatingmaterial 224 and/or the conductive layers 222. As described in detailabove with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, any cracks are expected to (i)originate in the insulating material 224 beneath the bond pad 225proximate to the footprint (e.g., beneath the perimeter of) theconductive pillar 106, and (ii) propagate laterally across the footprintof the conductive pillar 106. Accordingly, the barrier members 334—whichare formed of a material that is mechanically stronger than theinsulating material 224—are positioned to block cracks from propagatinga great distance laterally through the insulating material 224, therebyinhibiting or even preventing mechanical and/or electrical failure ofthe interconnect 104 and/or the metallization structure 316. Forexample, a crack originating at the perimeter of the footprint of theconductive pillar 106 and propagating laterally inward will be blocked,deflected, etc., by the third barrier member 334 c. In such embodiments,the fourth conductive member 334 d can provide additional reinforcementin the event the crack manages to propagate through or break through thethird barrier member 334 c. Similarly, a crack originating at theperimeter of the footprint of the conductive pillar 106 and propagatinglaterally outward will be blocked, deflected, etc., by the secondbarrier member 334 b. Moreover, the conductive layer 332 can inhibitcracks from propagating vertically (e.g., in a direction toward thesemiconductor substrate 112) through the insulating material 224 and/orthrough the first and second conductive layers 222 a, b. Accordingly,the metallization structure 316 is expected to increase the mechanicalstrength of the semiconductor die 110 as compared to conventionalmetallization structures (e.g., FIGS. 2A and 2B) and thereby reduce thelikelihood of mechanical and/or electrical failure due to stress-inducedcracking.

In other embodiments, the structure 330 can include more or fewer of thebarrier members 334. In some embodiments, for example, adding additionalones of the barrier members 334 can further increase the mechanicalstrength of the metallization structure 316 and thus further inhibitcrack propagation through the insulating material 224. In someembodiments, the structure 330 can include more and/or thicker barriermembers 334 or other metal structures along a direction of expectedcrack propagation (e.g., in a direction between the first and secondside portions 228 a, b of the conductive pillar 106) than along anotherdirection (e.g., between the third and fourth side 228 c, d portions 228c, d of the conductive pillar 106). In yet other embodiments,crack-inhibiting structures in accordance with the present technologycan include barrier members having other shapes, arrangements,configurations, etc. FIGS. 4-6, for example, are enlarged, bottomcross-sectional views of the portion of the package 100 shown in FIG. 3Aand having crack-inhibiting structures in accordance with otherembodiments of the present technology.

Referring to FIG. 4, the metallization structure 316 includes acrack-inhibiting structure 430 having a plurality of barrier members 434(individually labeled as first through fourth barrier members 434 a-434d). In the illustrated embodiment, the barrier members 434 each comprisea plurality of generally linear, elongate segments that together formrings or coils that are concentrically aligned with the footprint of theconductive pillar 106. In some embodiments, individual ones of thebarrier members 434 can comprise more or fewer than the four illustratedsegments. Referring to FIG. 5, the metallization structure 316 includesa crack-inhibiting structure 530 having a plurality of barrier members534 (individually labeled as first through fourth barrier members 534a-534 d). In the illustrated embodiment, the barrier members 534 eachcomprise a plurality of columns arranged in rings or coils that areconcentrically aligned with the footprint of the conductive pillar 106.In some embodiments, the barrier members 434 and/or 534 can berelatively easier to manufacture than the barrier members 334 because,for example, the linear segments and/or columns need not be connectedand can be discretely formed.

Referring to FIG. 6, the metallization structure 316 includes acrack-inhibiting structure 630 having a first barrier member 634 a and asecond barrier member 634 b that are concentrically aligned with thefootprint of the conductive pillar 106. In the illustrated embodiment,the first barrier member 634 a includes a plurality of generally linearsegments that together form a ring- or coil-like shape outside thefootprint of the conductive pillar 106. Likewise, the second barriermember 634 b includes a plurality of generally linear segments thattogether form a ring- or coil-like shape inside the footprint of theconductive pillar 106.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments ofthe present technology have been described herein for purposes ofillustration, but that various modifications may be made withoutdeviating from the scope of the present technology. For example, inparticular embodiments, the details of the crack-inhibiting structuresmay be different than those shown in the foregoing Figures. In someembodiments, the various embodiments may be combined to, for example,include combinations of barrier members including one or more linearsegments, integral rings, columns, etc., that are formed in aninsulating material beneath a bond pad. Moreover, barrier members canhave various spacings and arrangements relative to a footprint of aconductive column or other conductive feature attached to the bond pad.

The metallization structures of the present technology are expected tohave a greater mechanical strength as compared to conventionalmetallization structures (e.g., FIGS. 2A and 2B) that include a weakdielectric layer beneath bond pads. The disclosed metallizationstructures can therefore reduce the likelihood of mechanical and/orelectrical failure due to stress-induced cracking. Thus, themetallization structures of the present technology are expected toreduce yield loss during manufacturing of semiconductor packages (e.g.,after a TCB bonding step, as a result of thermal cycling and/or thermalshock during package reliability tests, etc.) and to increase thereliability of semiconductor packages during operation (e.g., duringpower cycling during end-customer use). The metallization structures ofthe present technology are also expected to increase package performanceby enabling the use of less mechanically strong dielectric materials(e.g., low-κ dielectric materials).

Any one of the semiconductor devices and/or packages having the featuresdescribed above with reference to FIGS. 1A and 3A-6 can be incorporatedinto any of a myriad of larger and/or more complex systems, arepresentative example of which is system 700 shown schematically inFIG. 7. The system 700 can include a processor 702, a memory 704 (e.g.,SRAM, DRAM, flash, and/or other memory devices), input/output devices706, and/or other subsystems or components 708. The semiconductor diesand/or packages described above with reference to FIGS. 1A and 3A-6 canbe included in any of the elements shown in FIG. 7. The resulting system700 can be configured to perform any of a wide variety of suitablecomputing, processing, storage, sensing, imaging, and/or otherfunctions. Accordingly, representative examples of the system 700include, without limitation, computers and/or other data processors,such as desktop computers, laptop computers, Internet appliances,hand-held devices (e.g., palm-top computers, wearable computers,cellular or mobile phones, personal digital assistants, music players,etc.), tablets, multi-processor systems, processor-based or programmableconsumer electronics, network computers, and minicomputers. Additionalrepresentative examples of the system 700 include lights, cameras,vehicles, etc. With regard to these and other example, the system 700can be housed in a single unit or distributed over multipleinterconnected units, e.g., through a communication network. Thecomponents of the system 700 can accordingly include local and/or remotememory storage devices and any of a wide variety of suitablecomputer-readable media.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments ofthe technology have been described herein for purposes of illustration,but that various modifications may be made without deviating from thedisclosure. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by theappended claims. Furthermore, certain aspects of the new technologydescribed in the context of particular embodiments may also be combinedor eliminated in other embodiments. Moreover, although advantagesassociated with certain embodiments of the new technology have beendescribed in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments mayalso exhibit such advantages and not all embodiments need necessarilyexhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the technology.Accordingly, the disclosure and associated technology can encompassother embodiments not expressly shown or described herein.

We claim:
 1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a substrate includingcircuit elements; and a metallization structure over the substrate,wherein the metallization structure includes— an insulating material; abond pad exposed from the insulating material and electrically coupledto at least one of the circuit elements; and a crack-inhibitingstructure positioned beneath the bond pad between the bond pad and thesubstrate, wherein the crack-inhibiting structure includes (a) a metallayer extending generally parallel to the bond pad and (b) a barriermember extending between the metal layer and the bond pad, and whereinthe bond pad is electrically coupled to the at least one of the circuitelements via an electrical path that does not include thecrack-inhibiting structure.
 2. The semiconductor device of claim 1wherein the crack-inhibiting structure is not electrically coupled toany of the circuit elements.
 3. The semiconductor device of claim 1wherein the barrier member is a first barrier member that forms a firstring, and wherein the crack-inhibiting structure further includes asecond barrier member that forms a second ring that is concentric withthe first ring.
 4. The semiconductor device of claim 3 wherein— the bondpad is configured to be attached to a conductive pillar, when the bondpad is attached to the conductive pillar, the first ring is positionedoutside a footprint of the conductive pillar, and when the bond pad isattached to the conductive pillar, the second ring is positioned insidea footprint of the conductive pillar.
 5. The semiconductor device ofclaim 4, further comprising the conductive pillar.
 6. The semiconductordevice of claim 1 wherein— the barrier member is a first barrier member,the crack-inhibiting structure further includes a second barrier member,the bond pad is configured to be attached to a conductive pillar, whenthe bond pad is attached to the conductive pillar, the first barriermember is positioned entirely outside a footprint of the conductivepillar, and when the bond pad is attached to the conductive pillar, thesecond barrier member is positioned entirely inside a footprint of theconductive pillar.
 7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein thebarrier member comprises a plurality of columns extending between themetal layer and the bond pad.
 8. The semiconductor device of claim 1wherein the barrier member comprises a plurality of elongate segmentsextending between the metal layer and the bond pad.
 9. The semiconductordevice of claim 1 wherein the barrier member comprises tungsten.
 10. Thesemiconductor device of claim 9 wherein the metal layer comprises amaterial selected from the group consisting of copper and aluminum. 11.The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the insulating materialcomprises a low-κ dielectric material.
 12. The semiconductor device ofclaim 1 wherein the bond pad is not electrically coupled to the at leastone circuit element via a conductive structure that extends verticallybeneath the bond pad between the bond pad and the substrate.
 13. Asemiconductor package, comprising: a package substrate; a semiconductordie including a metallization structure formed over a semiconductorsubstrate, wherein the metallization structure includes (a) bond padselectrically coupled to the semiconductor substrate and (b)crack-inhibiting structures positioned beneath the bond pads between thebond pads and the semiconductor substrate; and conductive interconnectselectrically coupling the package substrate to corresponding ones of thebond pads, wherein— individual ones of the crack-inhibiting featuresinclude a first barrier member and a second barrier member, the firstbarrier member is positioned laterally outside of a footprint of acorresponding one of the conductive interconnects, the second barriermember is positioned laterally inside of the footprint of thecorresponding one of the conductive interconnects; and the bond pads areelectrically coupled to the semiconductor substrate via electrical pathsthat do not include the crack-inhibiting structures.
 14. Thesemiconductor package of claim 13 wherein the crack-inhibitingstructures are not electrically coupled to the semiconductor substrate.15. The semiconductor package of claim 13 wherein the first barriermember generally surrounds the footprint of the corresponding one of theconductive interconnects.
 16. The semiconductor package of claim 13wherein the first and second barrier members are concentricallyarranged.
 17. A semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductorsubstrate; a metallization structure over the semiconductor substrate,wherein the metallization structure includes— an insulating material; abond pad exposed from the insulating material and electrically coupledto the semiconductor substrate; and a crack-inhibiting structurepositioned beneath the bond pad between the bond pad and the substrate,wherein the crack-inhibiting structure includes a barrier memberextending vertically from the bond pad toward the semiconductorsubstrate, and wherein the bond pad is electrically coupled to thesemiconductor substrate via an electrical path that does not include thecrack-inhibiting structure.
 18. The semiconductor device of claim 17wherein the bond pad is not electrically coupled to the semiconductorsubstrate via a conductive structure that extends beneath the bond padbetween the bond pad and the substrate.
 19. The semiconductor device ofclaim 17 wherein the insulating material comprises a low-κ dielectricmaterial, and wherein the barrier member comprises tungsten.
 20. Thesemiconductor device of claim 17 wherein the crack-inhibiting structurefurther comprises a metal layer extending laterally between thesubstrate and the bond pad, and wherein the barrier member is attachedto the bond pad and the metal layer.
 21. The semiconductor device ofclaim 17 wherein the barrier member forms a continuous ring.
 22. Thesemiconductor device of claim 17 wherein the barrier member includes aplurality of discrete segments arranged in a ring-like pattern.